A stone is an element of mineral origin.
A stone , from the Latin petra , is a hard and compact mineral substance , that is, of high consistency. The stones are neither earthy nor metallic in appearance and are usually extracted from quarries, which are open-pit mining operations.
Thanks to its natural characteristics, stone is a material that is preserved over time without losing its main characteristics. The oldest tools built by humans and still preserved today come from the Paleolithic period: archaeologists believe that tools would also have been built with wood or bones, but they have not survived to our time due to their poorer conservation.
stones in construction
Within the field of construction we would have to highlight that there are many types of stones that have been used and continue to be used when erecting a specific building. Thus, for example, we find the rough ones, which are those that are unworked, or the solid ones, which are those that are considered to have no type of defect.
However, in addition to all of them, we must highlight others that for centuries have been used by man to build their churches, their cathedrals, their castles or their palaces. We are referring, for example, to masonry, which are defined as those that are obtained directly from the earth and not from any quarry.
We also find ourselves in this last case are the ashlars. These stones are extracted from the quarry and are identified because when used in any construction they can be joined together either without material of any kind, which is called bone, or using mortar.
The stones are used for the development of constructions.
The concept in geology, medicine and other fields
In geology , stones are known as rocks . The geological concept of stones (abnormal concretions in the bladder), coarse hail , and the iron-cerium alloy used in pocket lighters to produce the spark are also called stones. For example: “Ismael will suffer a lot before being able to expel the stones from his bladder,” “Last night's storm included falling stones that damaged the roofs of houses and vehicles.”
Precious stones or gems are, on the other hand, minerals, rocks or petrified materials that are used in jewelry.
Cornerstone and philosopher's stone
In addition to everything stated above, we have to highlight that there are other important types of stones. Thus, for example, we find what is known as a cornerstone. This is a term that we can establish that is used when defining that something acts as a fundamental pillar of something else.
The philosopher's stone , meanwhile, is a substance that, according to alchemists, has the ability to transmute vulgar metals into gold or silver.
And all this without forgetting the existence of colloquial expressions that use the word stone. One of the most used is the one that says “a stone gives less”. It is an expression with which we try to make it clear that someone must be content with what they have achieved, no matter how little it may be.